Is it too cold to take a Cruise to the Carribean in Feb/March?

[JTBE]

To piggyback on the initial question-- can someone please recommend type of clothing to pack for a late Jan- early Feb cruise? Are shorts, sundresses, and tanks too cold? Do we need to pack jeans, sweaters, long sleeve t-shirts? Does the ship use air condition or the heater in Jan? Thanks

 

[phinz]

You can choose between air and heat in your room. Theatres can be cool. Restaurants sometimes can be cool. You will want a jacket sometimes up top when the wind is high, especially if you're all the way forward. Pack a long sleeve tshirt, a wind breaker and a pair of jeans. That way you have backup if need be. I wound up rarely needing these things this past cruise, but I *did* need them when I got back to port because it was *cold* in PC. I had convertible hiking pants, so I just zipped the legs back on.

 

[jrabbit]

you won't find any icebergs in the Caribbean in February - no snow either - so it's probably nicer than at home.

I actually like the winter / spring cruises better than the summer ones - because in the summer it IS going to be hot an humid.

 

[bumbershoot]

To piggyback on the initial question-- can someone please recommend type of clothing to pack for a late Jan- early Feb cruise? Are shorts, sundresses, and tanks too cold? Do we need to pack jeans, sweaters, long sleeve t-shirts? Does the ship use air condition or the heater in Jan? Thanks

You should probably pack such things just in case, and also for travel to and from the cruise. But you'll likely not wear them ON the cruise. Nice to know you have them IF you do need them, though.

On our Jan/Feb cruises we've worn shorts and dresses and bathing suits (and a coverup for me), and we've been just fine. And that's despite it being so cold for some of our Jan/Feb trips to Florida! When we disembarked this last January, it was sooooooo cold on land. We didn't have enough tipping-cash to feel OK taking the shuttle with our bags to the rental car agency, so DH just went and left us at the port. We waited for a rather long time, and it was just freezing out there. And we had dressed correctly, with our puffy coats! So many people disembarked in shorts and flipflops, and they were so cold.

And I always ALWAYS bring a little sweater or a shrug or shawl, for dining rooms. To me, the dining rooms are very cold, and since I always wear a dress to dinner, even on casual nights, I tend to be even colder than if I wore something more substantial. But that's in October, too.

 

[Footnotegirl]

Did the Eastern in ... I think early March of 2010. We found the weather to be lovely (definitely lower humidity!) and warm enough, the water in the pools to be fine, but the water in the ports to be pretty cold. However, most of our group is from the northern midwest, and used to swimming in the Great Lakes which are always pretty cold. Basically if the water was deep enough that you couldn't easily see the sand, then it was too cold to comfortably swim for more than a short dip.
The very shallow bays at Castaway Cay were warm enough to swim in though.

 

[FindMeAFishingSpot]

We did last week of Feb/first week March last year. Weather was perfect and we were definitely swimming (granted, we're New Englanders, so our idea of 'cold' is a little different). That said, we also went in September the year before and while it was very, very warm, it also rained a ton - we docked at Castaway Cay but a thunderstorm evacuated the beach. We've had good and bad weather at different points in the year, but always had a good time.

 

[fairytalelover]

We're from California.

 

[pgroom48]

Puerto Rico girl now living in South Florida. Florida and Castaway Cay in Feb and March is a very mixed bag. Just got off the ship 1 week ago and thought the weather and water was good, chilly when getting in but comfortable after 1 minute and I "hate" cold water. To give you an idea my pool is 83 degrees at it's lowest temp and some days I tell my husband to turn it up. Of course on the flip side I LOVE Castaway Cay in July and August and don't think the water is ever bad then, even if it's 89 or 90 degrees. I am sure a number of non southern travelers would disagree. I've also done a 7 night in Feb and wasn't thrilled about the water temp, although it did not bother my kids or our friends from Canada. On the flip side Sept/Oct/Nov are also a mixed bag as well. I have been on cruise for all of them and some days it's great and some it isn't, speaking about Castaway Cay. As for the true Caribbean, it's never been a issue regardless of time of year. That is saying a lot because as I mentioned, I'm Puerto Rican and occasionally in December I don't want to get in the the water in the PR it's 78. LOL, I truly am spoiled.

 

[Fairy Mermaid]

We went in early March and had beautiful weather!

 

[bumbershoot]

We're from California.

Well, Bay Area water or San Diego water?

 

[jmedrew]

You really just never know. I live by the port and we have had days in the 80s then a cold front comes it and its in the 40s!

We cruised just last week, Western Caribbean and had nice days at all the ports except CC. We almost didn't get docked, took them 4 tries. It was windy and cool. The water was WAY to cold for our liking but there were some people swimming. It didn't bother us too much as we live here by the beach and can do it anytime but I was disappointed that all the excursions for CC were also cancelled due to the weather.

 

[scrapshappen]

Well, Bay Area water or San Diego water?

Seriously this made me laugh. I grew up in the Bay Area and hate the beach because it was cold and miserable there year round. It will definitely be warmer at CC in January than it will be at Stinson Beach in July.

 

[phinz]

Well, Bay Area water or San Diego water?

Having grown up on the Gulf of Mexico, even San Diego in August is crazy cold. Brrrrrrrrrrr...

 

[fairytalelover]

Well, Bay Area water or San Diego water?

I should specify that I'm not talking about the ocean temp. I dont really swim in the ocean. I am talking about swimming in the ship pools and also laying out on the beach at CC. Is it hot enough to do those things?

 

[hardis5]

CC in March was warm for us (water cool/air nice warming to the mid 70's). I think the pools feel relative to the air. When in the Caribbean with temps in the 80's the pools felt nice. When at CC, though only 10 degrees cooler, getting in/out of the pool felt a lot colder having me believe the water colder (though it was not).

 

[DISNEYFOS]

We were on the Fantasy Eastern Carribean 2nd week of Feb 2014 Port Canaveral was cold/rainy.. St Thomas/St Maarten and Castaway Cay were all lovely beach weather High 70/low 80s. We went snorkeling in St Maarten, Swam at CC. We are from NE but I don't usually go in my pool til Aug..and I was comfortable. Not sure I would plan on swimming in the pools on the ship

 

[bumbershoot]

Having grown up on the Gulf of Mexico, even San Diego in August is crazy cold. Brrrrrrrrrrr...

Confession; I haven't gone into the water in SD. My brother tells me the beaches are boring, and every time he drops someone off at a beach they are calling him in half an hour to pick them up because it's so boring. I think that HE doesn't like the beach, and wants them to come back and hang out with him, so he takes them to awful beaches LOL. Since I'd rather hang out at his house in his pool and his hot tub drinking his beer, we don't bother with beaches there.

And we grew up in San Jose with a dad in Santa Cruz, so...brr.

I should specify that I'm not talking about the ocean temp. I dont really swim in the ocean. I am talking about swimming in the ship pools and also laying out on the beach at CC. Is it hot enough to do those things?

Feb 2013, late Jan 2014, Jan 2015 we were out in the sunshine just fine at CC. Was lovely. Far better than the October cruise where the sun, apparently, was 2 miles away and I'm quite sure I know the exact spot that I'll eventually get skin cancer from the burn I got (left upper thigh...there is STILL a marked difference in my skin color on that side vs the right side that wasn't directly in the sun...it's scary)...and that was from one hour, WITH sunscreen, in the sun. Yipes.

Feb 2012, given how cold it was in FL and how cold my cousins were on the ship and CC (same cousins that enjoyed CC with us the following year), I doubt we could have been on loungers in bathing suits on CC.


I don't sit in the pools on Disney ships, so I don't know about that. (they are too small to "swim" in)


I am now giving up January trips to WDW and Universal (the potential for actual freezing cold weather is too high in our experience) but I'd still take a late Jan, all Feb, all March trip to the Caribbean. and we do, in fact, have a March Carib cruise planned out next year. I anticipate much warmth and fun. And since I do swim on the much bigger Royal ships (though Freedom doesn't have a heated pool), I anticipate swimming then and perhaps going in the water on CocoCay, at St Maarten, and St Thomas.

 

[ludari]

A few years ago I cruised on Fantasy in March and the weather was great. I even went scuba diving at all the ports (minus CC) with swim trunks and rash guard (water temp was perfect that no wetsuit was required).

 

[horvatron]

We just booked our next cruise for March 20th 2016. This is the least rainy time of the year and the weather is still nice. Mid 70's to 80's.
Go for it!